Tuesday, November 20, 2007

A Story of Whatnot


According to the 2001 Random House Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary the term “whatnot” has the following definitions:

1. a stand with shelves for bric-a-brac, books, etc. 2. something or anything of the same or similar kind.

I remember years ago when I would spend time with my dear friend Deborah and her then husband, Dean, in their trailer at Angles surf camp in Baja, Mexico. Dean had an adorable habit of prattling on about this or that (another favorite phrase) and punctuating his points with “and whatnot.” This purportedly drove Deb nuts and she regularly warned Dean, “don’t say that.” Whenever Deb reprimanded Dean she always seemed on the edge of hilarity. It is in this context that I developed a profound affinity for this adorable little indefinite reference “whatnot.”

Through the years I have integrated this term into my everyday speech, so much so that I have decided to name this blog accordingly. I think both definitions are applicable….for it is here that I shall display, as on a shelf, a kind of bric-a-brac, mini-writings, “etc.” And as for the second definition, given that the offerings on this blog will come from only one person, me, they most certainly will have a kind of continuity, a similar-ness….regardless if they are cogent or comprehensible. So I welcome you to “Mer’s whatnot…” Enjoy.

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